Simon Barnes – författare

Memories of expat life in pre-handover Hong Kong.Lyrical, wry, amusing, deceptively gentle, Simon Barnes’s second novel packs a powerful punch after it has crept up on the reader with the narrator’s fond reminiscences of expat life in pre-handover Hong Kong. The hazy and often hilarious memories of work and play in the heartstopping beauty and pulse-racing commercialism of the colony is suddenly flooded by darker memories of tragedy and loss, although Barnes, the most optimistic and delightful of authors, pulls the reader through to a warmly satisfying conclusion.

A wonderfully engaging novel about a man and the horse he falls in love with – the idiosyncratic Miss Chance.‘Get a motorbike. Get laid. The order doesn’t matter.’When teacher Mark Brown’s celebrated wife leaves him, his best friend Callum prescribes a swift return to adolescence.Mark does indeed turn back the clock, but not towards motorbikes. He returns to his first passion – horses. Getting back into the swing of riding after twelve years, Mark begins to put together the broken pieces of a story that is full of humour, love and pain.He is plunged back into contact with his extraordinary family and other flamboyant influences from his past. And over everything there is the shadow of his tantalising, enigmatic, beautiful and frustrating wife, Morgan.Miss Chance is at once delicate and down-to-earth, funny and poignant, a beautifully told narrative that reveals itself with an increasing power and momentum.

A funny, romantic, evocative novel set against the safari tourism business in East Africa, written by an award-winning journalist.After the death of his beloved, bankrupt gambler of a father, Dan Lynch follows his university degree in zoology to a run-down safari camp, where he can work as a trainee guide and, most important, be near George Sorensen, the owner. George is a wildlife genius, but no great businessman, and the camp is threatened by lack of visitors, competition from the much more luxurious set-up across the valley, and corrupt local politicians. In learning about the majestic landscape and fauna of Africa, Dan learns a lot about people – and about himself.A beautiful evocation of place, a warmly observant love story, a suspenseful battle against the odds, Rogue Lion Safaris marks the debut of a very bright new voice in fiction.

Simon Barnes is the leading sports writer on horses in Britain. This is a selection of his work.Whether writing in The Times about the extraordinary racing operation of Sheikh Mohammed, or the achievements of the Riding for the Disabled movement, in the Spectator about the social nuances of the hunting debate, in Horse and Hound about riding his own two horses or about the appearance of that magazine in Hugh Grant’s cover story in Notting Hill, Simon Barnes is a charming, incisive, iconoclastic and totally dedicated writer, loved by horse-people all over the country. This collection reports some of his finest work.

Offering a deep insight into the venture capital deal-making process, Raising Venture Capital also provides valuable introduction to the subject. The book is practical in focus but based on sound academic theory, research and teaching materials gathered over the last 4 years at Tanaka Business School. Part one covers the history of the venture capital industry, shows why entrepreneurs need venture capital finance, and looks at how venture capitals raise and structure their funds. It also covers valuation methods for venture capital investments, and portfolio management.Part two illustrates how successful entrepreneurs raise finance from venture capitals, and gives details on how to approach venture capitals, how to choose the right venture capital firm, and how venture capitals and  entrepreneurs work together after the deal is done.Part three gives a blow-by-blow account of the structure of a venture capital deal.

Offering a deep insight into the venture capital deal-making process, Raising Venture Capital also provides valuable introduction to the subject. The book is practical in focus but based on sound academic theory, research and teaching materials gathered over the last 4 years at Tanaka Business School.

Part one covers the history of the venture capital industry, shows why entrepreneurs need venture capital finance, and looks at how venture capitals raise and structure their funds. It also covers valuation methods for venture capital investments, and portfolio management.

Part two illustrates how successful entrepreneurs raise finance from venture capitals, and gives details on how to approach venture capitals, how to choose the right venture capital firm, and how venture capitals and  entrepreneurs work together after the deal is done.

Part three gives a blow-by-blow account of the structure of a venture capital deal.

Learn the venture capital process and industry from the inside-out In Building Value: The Business of Venture Capital, renowned professor and venture capital (VC) firm partner Simon Barnes delivers an easy-to-read guide to the often-mysterious world of venture capital and how entrepreneurs and venture capitalists should engage with each other to arrive at constructive start-up investment deals. In the book, you'll discover why successful entrepreneurial finance is more about behaviour than it is about numbers. You'll learn why VC is a people business, first and foremost, and why effectively aligning the interests of funders and entrepreneurs is so important. You'll also find: Insights drawn from the author's 25 years' experience backing and building start-ups in the UK, EU, and USA holistic view of the venture capital industry that focuses on building valueA comprehensive discussion of the entire VC process, from negotiating the deal to helping build a successful venture-backed businessPerfect for students in MBA programs, Building Value is also a can't-miss resource for venture capitalists, entrepreneurs raising capital for the first time, professional fund managers, and professionals and entrepreneurs participating in incubator or accelerator programmes.

Learn the venture capital process and industry from the inside-out

In Building Value: The Business of Venture Capital, renowned professor and venture capital (VC) firm partner Simon Barnes delivers an easy-to-read guide to the often-mysterious world of venture capital and how entrepreneurs and venture capitalists should engage with each other to arrive at constructive start-up investment deals. In the book, you''ll discover why successful entrepreneurial finance is more about behaviour than it is about numbers. You''ll learn why VC is a people business, first and foremost, and why effectively aligning the interests of funders and entrepreneurs is so important.

You''ll also find:

Insights drawn from the author''s 25 years'' experience backing and building start-ups in the UK, EU, and US A holistic view of the venture capital industry that focuses on building value A comprehensive discussion of the entire VC process, from negotiating the deal to helping build a successful venture-backed business

Perfect for students in MBA programs, Building Value is also a can''t-miss resource for venture capitalists, entrepreneurs raising capital for the first time, professional fund managers, and professionals and entrepreneurs participating in incubator or accelerator programmes.

Learn the venture capital process and industry from the inside-out

In Building Value: The Business of Venture Capital, renowned professor and venture capital (VC) firm partner Simon Barnes delivers an easy-to-read guide to the often-mysterious world of venture capital and how entrepreneurs and venture capitalists should engage with each other to arrive at constructive start-up investment deals. In the book, you''ll discover why successful entrepreneurial finance is more about behaviour than it is about numbers. You''ll learn why VC is a people business, first and foremost, and why effectively aligning the interests of funders and entrepreneurs is so important.

You''ll also find:

Insights drawn from the author''s 25 years'' experience backing and building start-ups in the UK, EU, and US A holistic view of the venture capital industry that focuses on building value A comprehensive discussion of the entire VC process, from negotiating the deal to helping build a successful venture-backed business

Perfect for students in MBA programs, Building Value is also a can''t-miss resource for venture capitalists, entrepreneurs raising capital for the first time, professional fund managers, and professionals and entrepreneurs participating in incubator or accelerator programmes.

From the author of The History of the World in 100 Animals, a BBC Radio Four Book of the Week, comes an inspirational new book that looks at the 100 plants that have had the greatest impact on humanity, stunningly illustrated throughout.As humans, we hold the planet in the palms of ours hands. But we still consume the energy of the sun in the form of food. The sun is available for consumption because of plants. Plants make food from the sun by the process of photosynthesis; nothing else in the world can do this. We eat plants, or we do so at second hand, by eating the eaters of plants.  Plants give us food. Plants take in carbon dioxide and push out oxygen: they give us the air we breathe, direct the rain that falls and moderate the climate. Plants also give us shelter, beauty, comfort, meaning, buildings, boats, containers, musical instruments, medicines and religious symbols. We use flowers for love, we use flowers for death. The fossils of plants power our industries and our transport. Across history we have used plants to store knowledge, to kill, to fuel wars, to change our state of consciousness, to indicate our status. The first gun was a plant, we got fire from plants, we have enslaved people for the sake of plants.   We humans like to see ourselves as a species that has risen above the animal kingdom, doing what we will with the world. But we couldn’t live for a day without plants. Our past is all about plants, our present is all tied up with plants; and without plants there is no future.  From the mighty oak to algae, from cotton to coca here are a hundred reasons why.

From the author of The History of the World in 100 Animals, a BBC Radio Four Book of the Week, comes an inspirational new book that looks at the 100 plants that have had the greatest impact on humanity, stunningly illustrated throughout. As humans, we hold the planet in the palms of ours hands. But we still consume the energy of the sun in the form of food. The sun is available for consumption because of plants. Plants make food from the sun by the process of photosynthesis; nothing else in the world can do this. We eat plants, or we do so at second hand, by eating the eaters of plants.   Plants give us food. Plants take in carbon dioxide and push out oxygen: they give us the air we breathe, direct the rain that falls and moderate the climate. Plants also give us shelter, beauty, comfort, meaning, buildings, boats, containers, musical instruments, medicines and religious symbols. We use flowers for love, we use flowers for death. The fossils of plants power our industries and our transport. Across history we have used plants to store knowledge, to kill, to fuel wars, to change our state of consciousness, to indicate our status. The first gun was a plant, we got fire from plants, we have enslaved people for the sake of plants.    We humans like to see ourselves as a species that has risen above the animal kingdom, doing what we will with the world. But we couldn’t live for a day without plants. Our past is all about plants, our present is all tied up with plants; and without plants there is no future.  From the mighty oak to algae, from cotton to coca here are a hundred reasons why.

From the acclaimed author of Rewild Yourself comes a brilliant new book that reveals the natural joys to be discovered on your doorstep.In the autumn of 2020, Simon Barnes should have been leading a safari in Zambia, but Covid restrictions meant his plans had to be put on hold. Instead, he embarked on the only voyage of discovery that was still open to him. He walked to a folding chair at the bottom of his garden, and sat down. His itinerary: to sit in that very same spot every day for a year and to see - and hear - what happened all around him. It would be a stationary garden safari; his year of sitting dangerously had begun.For the next twelve months, he would watch as the world around him changed day by day. Gradually, he began to see his surroundings in a new way; by restricting himself, he opened up new horizons, growing even closer to a world he thought he already knew so well.The Year of Sitting Dangerously is a wonderfully evocative read; it inspires the reader to pay closer attention to the marvels that surround us all, and is packed with handy tips to help bring nature even closer to us.

From the acclaimed author of Rewild Yourself comes a brilliant new book that reveals the natural joys to be discovered on your doorstep. In the autumn of 2020, Simon Barnes should have been leading a safari in Zambia, but Covid restrictions meant his plans had to be put on hold. Instead, he embarked on the only voyage of discovery that was still open to him. He walked to a folding chair at the bottom of his garden, and sat down. His itinerary: to sit in that very same spot every day for a year and to see - and hear - what happened all around him. It would be a stationary garden safari; his year of sitting dangerously had begun. For the next twelve months, he would watch as the world around him changed day by day. Gradually, he began to see his surroundings in a new way; by restricting himself, he opened up new horizons, growing even closer to a world he thought he already knew so well.The Year of Sitting Dangerously is a wonderfully evocative read; it inspires the reader to pay closer attention to the marvels that surround us all, and is packed with handy tips to help bring nature even closer to us.

From the acclaimed author of Rewild Yourself comes a brilliant book that reveals the natural joys to be discovered on your doorstep.In the autumn of 2020, Simon Barnes should have been leading a safari in Zambia, but Covid restrictions meant his plans had to be put on hold. Instead, he embarked on the only voyage of discovery that was still open to him. He walked to a folding chair at the bottom of his garden, and sat down. His itinerary: to sit in that very same spot every day for a year and to see - and hear - what happened all around him. It would be a stationary garden safari; his year of sitting dangerously had begun.For the next twelve months, he would watch as the world around him changed day by day. Gradually, he began to see his surroundings in a new way; by restricting himself, he opened up new horizons, growing even closer to a world he thought he already knew so well.The Year of Sitting Dangerously is a wonderfully evocative read; it inspires the reader to pay closer attention to the marvels that surround us all, and is packed with handy tips to help bring nature even closer to us.

Chosen by WATERSTONES as one of their BEST NATURE WRITING BOOKS of 2024Can you tell a tomato from a grape? A patch of grass from a Christmas tree? Then congratulations – you’re a botanist. Self-confessed bad birdwatcher Simon Barnes thought he knew nothing about plants. He didn't have anything against them: trees are interesting because birds perch in them; plants are useful because they create habitats, and all birds live in habitats. But while admiring the tenacity of some yellow horned poppies thriving on a shingle beach – a place where it seemed no plant had a hope of surviving – he was struck by a simple yet profound truth. It all begins with plants.In this charming and inspiring book, Barnes takes us on a fascinating journey, from the simple genius of photosynthesis to the complex and bizarre ways that plants reproduce. We consider plants as varied as cabbages and conifers, familiar wildflowers and enigmatic orchids, nefarious parasites and plants that carry deadly poisons – helping us better appreciate the beauty and diversity of the natural world.Both a primer on botany and an exploration of how plants make our external and interior worlds, How to Be a Bad Botanist opens our eyes to the wonders around us. Plants are everywhere, in every part of your life, and you know more than you think.

Chosen by WATERSTONES as one of their BEST NATURE WRITING BOOKS of 2024 Can you tell a tomato from a grape? Lawn from an oak tree? Then congratulations - you are a botanist.  Self-confessed bad birdwatcher Simon Barnes thought he knew nothing about plants. He didn't object to them: trees are interesting, because birds perch in them; plants are useful as they create habitats and birds live in habitats. But while admiring the tenacity of some sea kale and yellow-horned poppy to thrive on an inhospitable shingle beach, he was struck by a truth - it all begins with plants.  In this funny and inspiring book, Simon Barnes tells the story of a lifelong relationship with plants, and the realisation of the fact. Taking us from thinking ourselves ignorant about plants, to gently starting to observe seasons, patterns and places, Barnes guides us on a journey to better observing the beauty and diversity of the natural world.  Both a primer on how to appreciate the plants around us and an exploration on how they make our external and interior worlds, How to be a Bad Botanist opens our eyes to the wonders  around us. Plants are everywhere, in every part of your life, and you know more than you think.

Can you tell a tomato from a grape? A patch of grass from a Christmas tree? Then congratulations – you’re a botanist. Self-confessed bad birdwatcher Simon Barnes thought he knew nothing about plants. He didn't have anything against them: trees are interesting because birds perch in them; plants are useful because they create habitats, and all birds live in habitats. But while admiring the tenacity of some yellow horned poppies thriving on a shingle beach – a place where it seemed no plant had a hope of surviving – he was struck by a simple yet profound truth. It all begins with plants.In this charming and inspiring book, Barnes takes us on a fascinating journey, from the simple genius of photosynthesis to the complex and bizarre ways that plants reproduce. We consider plants as varied as cabbages and conifers, familiar wildflowers and enigmatic orchids, nefarious parasites and plants that carry deadly poisons – helping us better appreciate the beauty and diversity of the natural world.Both a primer on botany and an exploration of how plants make our external and interior worlds, How to Be a Bad Botanist opens our eyes to the wonders around us. Plants are everywhere, in every part of your life, and you know more than you think.

From the acclaimed author ofRewild Yourself comes a brilliant new book that reveals the natural joys to be discovered on your doorstep. In the autumn of 2020, Simon Barnes should have been leading a safari in Zambia, but Covid restrictions meant his plans had to be put on hold. Instead, he embarked on the only voyage of discovery that was still open to him. He walked to a folding chair at the bottom of his garden, and sat down. His itinerary: to sit in that very same spot every day for a year and to see - and hear - what happened all around him. It would be a stationary garden safari; his year of sitting dangerously had begun. For the next twelve months, he would watch as the world around him changed day by day. Gradually, he began to see his surroundings in a new way; by restricting himself, he opened up new horizons, growing even closer to a world he thought he already knew so well.The Year of Sitting Dangerously is a wonderfully evocative read; it inspires the reader to pay closer attention to the marvels that surround us all, and is packed with handy tips to help bring nature even closer to us.

Chosen by WATERSTONES as one of their BEST NATURE WRITING BOOKS of 2024 Can you tell a tomato from a grape? Lawn from an oak tree? Then congratulations - you are a botanist. Self-confessed bad birdwatcher Simon Barnes thought he knew nothing about plants. He didnt object to them: trees are interesting, because birds perch in them; plants are useful as they create habitats and birds live in habitats. But while admiring the tenacity of some sea kale and yellow-horned poppy to thrive on an inhospitable shingle beach, he was struck by a truth - it all begins with plants. In this funny and inspiring book, Simon Barnes tells the story of a lifelong relationship with plants, and the realisation of the fact. Taking us from thinking ourselves ignorant about plants, to gently starting to observe seasons, patterns and places, Barnes guides us on a journey to better observing the beauty and diversity of the natural world. Both a primer on how to appreciate the plants around us and an exploration on how they make our external and interior worlds,How to be a Bad Botanistopens our eyes to the wonders around us.Plants are everywhere, in every part of your life, and you know more than you think.

'This may conceivably be Barnes’s best work yet' Marcus Berkmann, Daily Mail ‘For 30 years I was the voice of sport at The Times – but that’s enough about me. What matters is sport.’   This is an autobiography from which the author, award-winning writer Simon Barnes, has been surgically removed. He has reported on six World Cups, seven Olympic Games, cricket on five continents and more than 20 Wimbledons, watching Diego Maradona, Usain Bolt, Sachin Tendulkar and Roger Federer at their peak. Along the way he had soul-revealing conversations with Ayrton Senna and sat on Desert Orchid.   His journalist’s experience gives him perspective, until the addictive madness of sport takes over. Epic is a stunning mosaic of some of the greatest sporting moments in recent years, which build up to provide the reader with a better idea of what sport is for, what differentiates winners from losers, and reveals how sport teaches us how better to enjoy life.  This is sport unplugged. Speaking for itself. Allowing the reader to understand sport with more clarity and depth than ever before.

‘For 30 years I was the voice of sport at The Times – but that’s enough about me. What matters is sport.’  This is an autobiography from which the author, award-winning writer Simon Barnes, has been surgically removed. He has reported on six World Cups, seven Olympic Games, cricket on five continents and more than 20 Wimbledons, watching Diego Maradona, Usain Bolt, Sachin Tendulkar and Roger Federer at their peak. Along the way he had soul-revealing conversations with Ayrton Senna and sat on Desert Orchid.  His journalist’s experience gives him perspective, until the addictive madness of sport takes over. Epic is a stunning mosaic of some of the greatest sporting moments in recent years, which build up to provide the reader with a better idea of what sport is for, what differentiates winners from losers, and reveals how sport teaches us how better to enjoy life.  This is sport unplugged. Speaking for itself. Allowing the reader to understand sport with more clarity and depth than ever before.

'He does write beautifully, especially of his greatest love - our wild birds ... On The Marsh is a delightful read.' Christopher Hart, Daily MailHow the rewilding of eight acres of Norfolk marshland inspired a family and brought nature even closer to home. When writer Simon Barnes heard a Cetti's warbler sing out as he turned up to look at a house for sale, he knew immediately that he had found his new home. The fact that his garden backed onto an area of marshy land only increased the possibilities, but there was always the fear that it might end up in the wrong hands and be lost to development or intensive farming. His wife saw through the delicate negotiations for the purchase. Once they'd bought it, they began to manage it as a conservation area, working with the Wildlife Trust to ensure it became as appealing as possible to all species. For their son Eddie, who has Down's syndrome, it became a place of calm and inspiration. In On The Marsh, we see how nature can always bring surprises, and share in the triumphs as new animals - Chinese water deer, otters and hedgehogs - arrive, and watch as the number of species of bird tops 100 and keeps on growing. As the seasons go by, there are moments of triumph when not one but two marsh harrier families use the marsh as a hunting ground, but also disappointments as chemical run-off from neighbouring farmland creates a nettles monoculture in newly turned earth. For anyone who enjoyed books such as Meadowland and Wilding, or the writing of Stephen Moss, Roger Deakin or Adam Nicolson, this is a vivid and beautifully written account of the wonders that can sometimes be found on our doorsteps, and how nature can transform us all. 

'Such a simple, clever book.' Rosemary Goring, The HeraldWe're not just losing the wild world. We're forgetting it. We're no longer noticing it. We've lost the habit of looking and seeing and listening and hearing. But we can make hidden things visible, and this book features 23 spellbinding ways to bring the magic of nature much closer to home. Mammals you never knew existed will enter your world. Birds hidden in treetops will shed their cloak of anonymity. With a single movement of your hand you can make reptiles appear before you. Butterflies you never saw before will bring joy to every sunny day. Creatures of the darkness will enter your consciousness. And as you take on new techniques and a little new equipment, you will discover new creatures and, with them, new areas of yourself that had gone dormant. Once put to use, they wake up and start working again. You become wilder in your mind and in your heart. Once you know the tricks, the wild world begins to appear before you. For anyone who wants to get closer to the nature all around them and bring it back into focus, this is the perfect read.  'Barnes describes the wonders of nature with an infectious enthusiasm' Guardian 'Such a good idea' Chris Packham 'Barnes, a passionate writer on wildlife...is an endearingly boisterous guide' Daily Mail

'Such a simple, clever book.' Rosemary Goring, The HeraldWe're not just losing the wild world. We're forgetting it. We're no longer noticing it. We've lost the habit of looking and seeing and listening and hearing.But we can make hidden things visible, and this book features 23 spellbinding ways to bring the magic of nature much closer to home.Mammals you never knew existed will enter your world. Birds hidden in treetops will shed their cloak of anonymity. With a single movement of your hand you can make reptiles appear before you. Butterflies you never saw before will bring joy to every sunny day. Creatures of the darkness will enter your consciousness. And as you take on new techniques and a little new equipment, you will discover new creatures and, with them, new areas of yourself that had gone dormant. Once put to use, they wake up and start working again. You become wilder in your mind and in your heart. Once you know the tricks, the wild world begins to appear before you. For anyone who wants to get closer to the nature all around them and bring it back into focus, this is the perfect read. 'Barnes describes the wonders of nature with an infectious enthusiasm' Guardian'Such a good idea' Chris Packham'Barnes, a passionate writer on wildlife...is an endearingly boisterous guide' Daily Mail

He does write beautifully, especially of his greatest love our wild birds...On The Marsh is a delightful read. Christopher Hart,Daily MailHow the rewilding of eightacres of Norfolk marshland inspired a family and brought nature even closer to home. When writer Simon Barnes heard a Cettis warbler sing out as he turned up to look at a house for sale, he knew immediately that he had found his new home. The fact that his garden backed onto an area ofmarshy land only increased the possibilities, but there was always the fear that it might end up in the wrong hands and be lost to development or intensive farming.His wife saw through the delicate negotiations for the purchase. Once theyd bought it, they began to manage it as a conservation area, working with the Wildlife Trust to ensure it became as appealing as possible to all species. For their son Eddie, who has Downs syndrome, it became a place of calm and inspiration. In On The Marsh, we see how nature can always bring surprises, and share in the triumphs as new animals - Chinese water deer, otters and hedgehogs - arrive, and watch as the number of species of bird tops 100 and keeps on growing. As the seasons go by, there are moments of triumph when not one but twomarsh harrier familiesuse the marsh as a hunting ground, but also disappointments as chemical run-off fromneighbouring farmland creates a nettles monoculture in newly turned earth. For anyone who enjoyed books such as Meadowland, or the writing of Stephen Moss, Roger Deakin or Adam Nicolson, this is a vivid and beautifully toldaccount of the wonders that can sometimes be found on our doorsteps, and how nature can transform us all.

'So, so good! ... More gems than a pirate's chest ... science, art, history, culture - it's epic and mammoth, a repository of all our truths through their lives' Chris PackhamA powerful and fascinating insight into the 100 animals - from the blue whale to the mosquito - that have had the biggest influence on humanity through the ages. We are not alone. We are not alone on the planet. We are not alone in the countryside. We are not alone in cities. We are not alone in our homes. We are humans and we love the idea of our uniqueness. But the fact is that we humans are as much members of the animal kingdom as the cats and dogs we surround ourselves with, the cows and the fish we eat, and the bees who pollinate so many of our food-plants. In The History of the World in 100 Animals, award-winning author Simon Barnes selects the 100 animals who have had the greatest impact on humanity and on whom humanity has had the greatest effect. He shows how we have domesticated animals for food and for transport, and how animals powered agriculture, making civilisation possible. A species of flea came close to destroying human civilisation in Europe, while the slaughter of a species of bovines was used to create one civilisation and destroy another. He explains how pigeons made possible the biggest single breakthrough in the history of human thought. In short, he charts the close relationship between humans and animals, finding examples from around the planet that bring the story of life on earth vividly to life, with great insight and understanding.The heresy of human uniqueness has led us across the millennia along the path of destruction. This book, beautifully illustrated throughout, helps us to understand our place in the world better, so that we might do a better job of looking after it. That might save the polar bears, the modern emblem of impending loss and destruction. It might even save ourselves.

'So, so good! ... More gems than a pirate's chest ... science, art, history, culture - it's epic and mammoth, a repository of all our truths through their lives' Chris PackhamA powerful and fascinating insight into the 100 animals - from the blue whale to the mosquito - that have had the biggest influence on humanity through the ages. We are not alone. We are not alone on the planet. We are not alone in the countryside. We are not alone in cities. We are not alone in our homes. We are humans and we love the idea of our uniqueness. But the fact is that we humans are as much members of the animal kingdom as the cats and dogs we surround ourselves with, the cows and the fish we eat, and the bees who pollinate so many of our food-plants.  In The History of the World in 100 Animals, award-winning author Simon Barnes selects the 100 animals who have had the greatest impact on humanity and on whom humanity has had the greatest effect. He shows how we have domesticated animals for food and for transport, and how animals powered agriculture, making civilisation possible. A species of flea came close to destroying human civilisation in Europe, while the slaughter of a species of bovines was used to create one civilisation and destroy another. He explains how pigeons made possible the biggest single breakthrough in the history of human thought. In short, he charts the close relationship between humans and animals, finding examples from around the planet that bring the story of life on earth vividly to life, with great insight and understanding. The heresy of human uniqueness has led us across the millennia along the path of destruction. This book, beautifully illustrated throughout, helps us to understand our place in the world better, so that we might do a better job of looking after it. That might save the polar bears, the modern emblem of impending loss and destruction. It might even save ourselves.

An exquisite edition of The History of the World in 100 Animals by author and journalist Simon Barnes, adapted and abridged for younger readers, with superb illustrations by award-winning artist, Frann Preston-Gannon, illustrator of I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree.This outstanding gift book proposes the 100 animals who have had the greatest impact on humans and the way we view the world around us. From the bees who pollinate our food to the chimpanzees who share over 98% of our DNA, this book explores the unique and thought-provoking relationship between humans and animals throughout history. This fact-filled guide is sure to inspire and delight animal lovers young and old, and will make the perfect gift this Christmas.

Such a simple, clever book. Rosemary Goring, The HeraldWere not just losing the wild world. Were forgetting it. Were no longer noticing it. Weve lost the habit of looking and seeing and listening and hearing. But we can make hidden things visible, and this book features 23 spellbinding ways tobring the magic of nature much closer to home. Mammals you never knew existed will enter your world. Birds hidden in treetops will shed their cloak of anonymity. With a single movement of your hand you can make reptiles appear before you. Butterflies you never saw before will bring joy to every sunny day. Creatures of the darkness will enter your consciousness. And as you take on new techniques and a little new equipment, you will discover new creatures and, with them, new areas of yourself that had gone dormant. Once put to use, they wake up and start working again. You become wilder in your mind and in your heart. Once you know the tricks, the wild world begins to appear before you.For anyone who wants to get closer to the nature all around them and bring it back into focus, this is the perfect read. Barnes describes the wonders of nature with an infectious enthusiasm Guardian Such a good idea Chris Packham Barnes, a passionate writer on wildlife...is an endearingly boisterous guide Daily Mail